Jay Perkins' Personal Hibiscus Growing Page

This web site is a collection of resources on the web about Hibiscus growing.I have also included some photos of my own Hibiscus plants and well as some favorite varieties I have found on the Internet. While I am no expert on Hibiscus growing, this web site represents the best information I have discovered on the subject, both on and off the web. I hope you enjoy it!

Some notes about the sections in this site

Source:The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Hibiscus --"Any of various chiefly tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Hibiscus, having large, showy, variously colored flowers with numerous stamens united into a tube surrounding the style."
[Late Latin hibiscus, variant of Latin hibiscus, marsh mallow, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

The Gallery contains a slide show of my Hibiscus, The Diary is a often updated diary about my Hibiscus, sometimes a few additional pictures with the opportunity for you to comment. The Photos page is a selection of my favorite pictures of interesting varieties from the web. The Greenhouse page is up just in time for winter.

Resources for Hibiscus growing
Hearty Hibiscus Video	LSU Hibiscus Houses (make sure to zoom and move around in the picture)
An LSU PDF file on Hibiscus	LSU's more detailed growing information.

An interesting Missississippi gardening book was recently brought to my attention "Mississippi Garderner's Guide" by Norman Winter, Cool Springs Press; 1999: ISBN 1-888608-44-7. The Chinese Hibiscus page provides some good advice.;

"Hibiscus rosa—sinensis

Large, beautiful crepe paper—like flowers are produced for months, with little required of the gardener.

How to Grow
Grow in well-drained beds rich in organic Material and exposed to plenty of sun. Keep evenly moist Morning sun and filtered afternoon light is ideal Hibiscus also excels in containers. Treat as an annual or bring indoors where it can be treated as a protected shrub (not necessary around coastal Mississippi).

Companion Planting
Nothing is more exotic-looking than large banan4 trees surrounded by colorful hibiscus. Try growing alamedas on a trellis with a red single hibiscus plant in front. Grow upright elephant ears to the rear of the border behind hibiscus.

Care and Maintenance
Hibiscus flowers bloom on new growth, so it is important to maintain vigorous growth throughout the season. Keep the plants watered during periods of drought, and keep them well fed. Hibiscus prefers- a complete fertilizer formula like a slow release 18-6- 2. Light applications made monthly are preferred. If growing in containers, apply a diluted water solution fertilizer weekly, or add time- release granules every four to six weeks. Prune old wood in spring to encourage growth "

A Few Growing Hints
Water daily in the summer! They enjoy water, but in well drained pots or areas.
Tight pots for better blooms. They bloom best in pots when slightly root bound.
They enjoy lots of sun! Four to six hours of direct sun per day is best
Fertilizers higher in Potassium and lower in Phosporus are important (the LAST number on the label is the Potassium i.e. 8-10-30). One good formula is 18-5-23 , here is some you can order .

Jay's Hibiscus

Some notes about the sections in this site

A Few Growing Hints

Resources for Hibiscus growing